Hopefully looking for advice, DW8 engine noise.

[MarcusMcGuinness]

Hi all,

We've got an old Partner Mk1 with a DW8 (WJZ) engine, which we've had now for about 5 years. It's very useful, but not very sound mechanically, and after a series of hefty repair bills, (for us, hefty), we're now determined to to do as much as we can ourselves. Then, the other day, we were driving behind a car through the village and I said to the missus, "God, listen the strange noise that car's making," and of course it was ours! It was like a rhythmic clicking, scraping sound which I first thought might be to do with one of the belts, but the next day I recorded the engine idling from a cold start and so on for the next 15 minutes. It was entirely absent until the engine was hot, and then quickly got worse. It seemed, listening with a stethoscope, to be coming from under the top cover, over the cam.

Here's the audio recording on Youtube, edited down to 45 seconds. Can anyone help us by saying what they think this noise should tell us? There's a little bit more to say, but I'm interested to hear what anyone might suggest before saying what happened next.
Thanks
Mac

[xantia_v6]

It sounds like a belt rubbing, either the auxiliary belt or the timing belt, perhaps due to a failed tensioner bearing. In either case it should be investigated as a failed timing belt would cause you a lot of pain.

[MarcusMcGuinness]

Thanks for the quick reply.

..... but the next day I recorded the engine idling from a cold start and so on for the next 15 minutes. It was entirely absent until the engine was hot, and then quickly got worse. It seemed, listening with a stethoscope, to be coming from under the top cover, over the cam.

Could it be belt/idler/tensioner/bearing related when it was absent for the first 12 minutes after a cold start?
I've got a Spanish neighbour, retired mechanic, very friendly, who's convinced it's one or more of the hydraulic lifters, so convinced in fact that he persuaded me to add a bottle of Liqui Moly Hydraulic Lifter Additive in with the oil. It didn't work! , and now there's a continuous squeal even from cold start.
The change in noise happened very shortly after putting in the additive, though I can't rule out that being a complete coincidence. As you yourself suggest belts, it might not be a cam problem.
I could record the new sound of the engine if you or anyone else is interested.
Thanks, anyway.
Mac